Project PinkHaired Weasley
by Poohdog
Summary: Fleur is not the sort of sister-in-law Ginny wants.  And with Tonks so obviously heart-sick, it becomes increasingly obvious to Ginny that Tonks must be in love with Bill.  She  and a reluctant Hermione  start laying the groundwork to play matchmakers.  Canon couples.  Set during HBP.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I'm not J. K. Rowling. I don't own Harry Potter.**

**Author's Note: This is set during the beginning of the Half-Blood Prince.**

"I think I know what's wrong with Tonks."

"Oh really?" Hermione said lightly, barely looking up from her book that sat in her lap, as she sat in a chair between the window and the fireplace with her legs curled up next to her. The sun was streaming in the window, touching at her brown hair, making it almost appear reddish. In contrast, it hit Ginny's red hair and made it look more blonde.

"Yes," Ginny agreed, grabbing the book from Hermione as she sat down cross-legged on the footstool in front of the chair. Hermione's eyes narrowed at Ginny, watching as her book was closed around Ginny's thumb and placed in Ginny's lap. "Don't pretend you aren't curious."

"I'm plenty curious but I'm also curious as to what Raniez has to say about ancient Egyptian runes."

"So you think the same thing I do?" Ginny asked eagerly, a smile coming to her face.

"You're not taking Runes," Hermione reminded her. Ginny sighed as she glanced around the room again. No one was in the living room. Harry had come to the Burrow a couple of nights ago, and he and Ron were outside playing Quidditch with apples. Ginny had thought about joining them but then she realized that Hermione wasn't going and perhaps she would finally have a perfect opportunity to discuss her theory with another girl. Her mother wasn't an option as she was too old and Fleur _certainly_ wasn't an option. Even if Ginny's theory hadn't been what it was she wouldn't have any desire to talk to Fleur about anything.

"I meant about Tonks," Ginny prodded. "Do you know where Mum, Fleur, and Bill are?"

"Bill and Fleur are at work and your Mum is in the garden," Hermione answered, her eyes fixed on her book. "Can I have it back now?"

"I think Tonks is in love with Bill." Hermione gave her a look of confusion but not complete disbelief. Ginny took it as a cue to continue. "Well, think about it, when did Tonks stop changing her hair? About a day or two after Bill and Fleur announced that they were engaged. Probably about the time that Tonks heard and it sunk in that Bill wanted to marry Fleur."

"That makes sense," Hermione said slowly, a little uncertain as she pondered it. "But how come she didn't seem to notice at all last year. Bill was going out with Fleur all the time."

"Because she didn't realize how serious Bill thought he was. And besides, Fleur wasn't at Grimmauld Place as much as Tonks and Bill."

"You think she fell in love with him last year?"

"I don't know. I mean they went to school together. He was a little older than her but, you know, not very much of an age difference. But then again I don't know if they even noticed each other in school. He certainly never mentioned her. I never met her before last year and usually Bill brought home a lot of his friends. But I do think she loves him now."

"That's too bad for Tonks." Ginny nodded.

"They would make a really great pair, don't you think?"

"Ginny, Bill's with Fleur."

"And if he wasn't, then he would be happier, Tonks would be happier, Mum would be happier, and you and I would be happier."

"Why would I be happier?"

"Oh Hermione," Ginny sighed.

"What?"

"I think we should set Bill and Tonks up together, make him forget all about Fleur. It would be much nicer for all of us. I wouldn't have her as a sister-in-law and neither would you once you end up with Ron."

"Ginny that's ridiculous."

"It is not! They would get along well together."

"No, the part about Ron," Hermione sighed. "I think you might have a chance of being right about Tonks."

"So you'll help me?"

"Bill is happy with Fleur."

"For now," Ginny retorted. "And he'd be just as happy with Tonks. All we have to do is make him have some doubts before the wedding and he won't go through with it. Eventually he'll realize Tonks is so much better and forget all about Fleur." Hermione rolled her eyes and held up her hands.

"I won't stop you."

"Thank you!"

"But I'm not helping you either."

Ginny grabbed her hair at the nape of her neck and pulled it into a ponytail, scrunching up her forehead. "H-h-hi Fleur," she said, making her voice deeper and sticking her cheek out in an exaggeratedly stupid gesture.

"Oh shut-up. Ron doesn't look like that."

"I'm sorry I'm not a boy. Please Hermione?"

"If I give you any help at all, it is not because I like your brother," Hermione stated primly. "We are friends and nothing more. Will you give me my book back now?"

"No, not till you say you like him," Ginny teased as she jumped to her feet, dangling Hermione's book in front of her and then snatching it back, standing on the other side of the footstool. Hermione rolled her eyes and got to her feet.

"You do realize I'm taller than you and you can't use magic, right?"

"I'm faster," Ginny retorted and dashed away. She heard Hermione sigh again.

"Accio book!" she called out and Ginny felt the volume fly from her hands and into Hermione's. Ginny turned and stared at her incredulously.

"What happened to no magic?"

"They can't detect it here. Far too many adults who can use magic. Excuse me," she said, turning toward the kitchen.

"What have we done to you Hermione?" Ginny called after her laugh. "You've been Weasley-ized already and you haven't even gotten together with Ron yet!" she yelped as her friend went through the kitchen door. Ginny laughed to herself, knowing that at very least she had Hermione's attention to project matchmaker. She decided to grab her broom and head outside to the orchard where Harry and Ron were. She was sick of being inside.

**Comments and critiques always appreciated. Looking at about ten shortish chapters, including this one.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I'm not J. K. Rowling. I don't own Harry Potter.**

**Author's Note: This is set during the beginning of the Half-Blood Prince.**

Step one, both Hermione and the twins had taught her, was always to come up with a plan and figure out how much actually needed to be done. Ginny had found her chance for that, possibly. Upstairs she heard the bath starting to run. She knew it had to be Fleur. Her parents were upstairs talking in their bedroom and Ron and Harry were sitting in the living room working on homework with Hermione's constant prodding; Hermione, of course, had finished the assignments the week school ended, before she even got to the Burrow. Bill was also sitting in the living room, flipping through a history magazine and occasionally snorting at Harry and Ron. It was a perfect opportunity. Ginny slipped into the room and plopped down on the couch next to her oldest brother.

"Hi Bill," she greeted happily. He glanced over from his magazine. Ron and Harry were sitting on the ground in front of the fire and Hermione was sitting on the footrest in front of the chair. Crookshanks was curled up in the seat of the chair, purring happily to himself.

"Hullo Ginny," he chuckled, looking over at her. "What is it you want?"

"Do you know what's wrong with Tonks?" she asked, cutting directly to the chase. He looked over at her with a slight frown on his face.

"Oh, I have an idea of it I suppose," he said. "I don't really know any of the details, just the basic idea."

"So you haven't talked to her about it?"

"Not really my place is it?" Bill asked in return. Ginny noticed that Hermione had looked up and in her momentary lapse of concentration, her boys had begun whispering furiously among themselves, as if plotting their escape. Come to think of it, Ginny decided, that was probably exactly what they were doing.

"I wouldn't know I guess," Ginny told him with a sigh. She needed Bill to talk more. Did he think it wasn't his place because he was unaware of how he was involved or because he did know? "She hasn't said anything to me."

"Then I guess she doesn't want to."

"But I'm her friend. I can't think of why she wouldn't tell me unless she thought I'd really be affected by it," Ginny hinted.

"Wow, Harry, I'm hungry. How about we get a snack?" Ron interrupted loudly, looking over at Harry.

"Yeah, I agree, completely," Harry nodded as Ron got to his feet. Hermione's eyes narrowed.

"We'll be back," Ron assured her as Harry got up and they both began hurrying toward the kitchen.

"I know you're her friend Ginny but Tonks is an adult and you're still a child. She wouldn't tell you everything."

"Eventually," Ron added to his previous statement hurriedly as they passed through the doorway. Hermione sighed in annoyance and got up to follow them.

"I'm not a child. Tonks knows that! We spent a lots of time together last summer when-"

"Trust me. Tonks isn't as simple as you think she is. There's a very good possibility she hasn't told you all you think she's told you."

"Do you know her well then?" Ginny asked as she heard the backdoor slam shut.

"Ronald Billius Weasley!" Hermione cried out in annoyance from the kitchen, her voice rivalling Ginny's Mum's. Bill began to laugh as he got to his feet. The door slammed again as Ginny got up to follow her oldest brother to the kitchen. She saw Hermione charging after Ron and Harry through the window.

"Oh I hope when she and Ron get married they have at least one boy," Bill snorted. "She already has two boys. I don't know what she's going to do when Harry grows up. I don't think Ron ever will." Ginny smirked, storing this comment away for the later use of further teasing Hermione. Bill leaned against the window sill watching the two boys and the bushy haired girl.

"So you know Tonks well then?" Ginny persisted as she leaned against one of the counters. That must mean he knew her well. Maybe they had been together at Hogwarts once but had broken up when Bill went to Egypt. Maybe Bill was still in love with Tonks too but he thought she had moved on since then.

"Oh, fairly well I suppose, as well as most in the Order. I knew her at Hogwarts, or of her more accurately," he revised as he walked away from the window, his long legs leading him over to the cupboards above the counters in just a couple of strides. He opened one of them to the left and above Ginny's head and pulled down a bright orange jar. "Want one?" he asked, pulling out a handful of biscuits. "I stuck them up there a while ago. Mum rarely uses the cupboard and I wanted to keep my biscuits safe from everyone else."

"Thanks," Ginny replied taking one from her older brother. She set it on the counter before hopping up to sit on the counter beside her cookie. She picked it up again and then looked over at her brother. "So you weren't friends with Tonks at Hogwarts?"

"You really want to know what's going on with her, don't you?" Bill asked in amusement.

"I told you, she's my friend," Ginny told him. Bill nodded.

"I'm a bit worried about her right now too, Gin," he said, giving her a light smile. Ginny sighed. She wasn't about to correct him for calling her Gin when she wanted more information right now. Instead she bit into her biscuit. "We weren't friends at Hogwarts though. She was a year below me, a Hufflepuff. Our paths barely ever crossed. The only relationship we ever had was when I had a falling out with a friend because of her."

"Did you fancy her and he started going out with her?" Ginny piped up before she could think of a more tactful way to say anything. Bill didn't seem to notice. He shook his head.

"No. I wasn't great friends with him, only occasionally did homework with him, that sort of thing. Better friend of Charlie's actually since he was a Beater on the Quidditch team. At any rate this friend was dating her but they broke up right away. Tonks transfigured him into a pig and locked him in a broom cupboard with a note on the door that alluded to the fact that he was better as a pig than a human." Ginny laughed a little. "McGonagall hurried to change him back but she never did truly punish Tonks for it."

"Why not?" Ginny asked, looking at him in confusion.

"Because he was acting like a prejudiced arse, that's why. He went out with her for about five minutes and then demanded to sleep with her. He assumed Tonks would sleep with him because she was a metamorphmagus and he'd heard they were in general quite easy and willing to please with any physical form. Her gift is amazing and incredibly useful at times but I have no doubt there are times she almost wishes she were born without it." Bill paused for a moment, his brow crumpling as if he were thinking hard. "Maybe that's why there was no pink in the corridors for a while. I don't know if she stopped morphing for a while after that."

"She never told me anything about it," Ginny said half to herself. She wasn't sure if she was talking about Tonks losing her ability to morph before or the boy she had turned into a pig.

"Think about it Ginny. Has Tonks ever really told you anything about her childhood or her years at Hogwarts or has she just listened to you talk? She takes an incredible amount of interest in everyone else but if you really pursue the topic, there're very few people who know a whole lot about her." Ginny paused as she looked at her brother. "Just keep in mind that she's a lot deeper than she appears when you go prying into her business. She spent her entire childhood in the first war and something about it gave her an impression lasting enough for her to become an Auror and to becoming a member of the Order before a lot of people even knew You-Know-Who was back. I know there's no use telling you not to pry Ginny. You got that from Mum and there's certainly no stopping her. But don't just assume that it's going to be easy." Bill then turned and walked out of the kitchen, leaving Ginny sitting on the counter, mulling over what he had said, all the more determined that she wanted Tonks as a sister-in-law, not Fleur.

**Yes I made Tonks a year older than Charlie. I know normally she's said to be the same age as Charlie but in my mind there was a year between when she left Hogwarts and when she started Auror training. Sorry if it bugs you too much.**

**Reviews always appreciated.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I'm not J. K. Rowling. I don't own Harry Potter.**

**Author's Note: This is set during the beginning of the Half-Blood Prince.**

"Tonks!" Ginny greeted as she arrived in the living room, her hair still frazzled from sleep. The young Auror was leaning against the wall between the sofa and the kitchen doorway, her hair still a mousy brown and her eyes tired, still somewhat sad. Ginny wished desperately that Bill was there so she could observe them together but he was at his own flat or possibly at work already. "I didn't know you were coming over," Ginny continued.

"Order business," Tonks yawned, forcing a grin. "What are you doing up before ten? It's still summer."

"I just woke up," Ginny shrugged. "What are you doing up?"

"Work," she said, waving it off absently. "I just need to-"

"You should stay for breakfast," Mrs. Weasley instructed, entering the room. She began herding Tonks into the kitchen.

"Really, Molly, I'm alright. I'm going to head home and sleep. I had to work all night. I'll eat when I wake up."

"Or you could eat now. You'll sleep better on a full stomach," she directed as Ginny followed behind, vaguely amused by Tonks's protests. Somehow, she managed to shuffle Tonks into a chair. "Besides, I get the idea that you're forgetting to eat," Mrs. Weasley observed, her eyes lingering on Tonks's body as though calculating every ounce that she had lost.

"Molly, honestly I'm fine. I eat."

"You're just not eating when you eat," Mrs. Weasley told her critically, dropping a plate down in front of her. Tonks tilted her head to the side as if she were trying to untangle that statement.

"Mum!" someone called running into the room from the backdoor. Ginny looked up to see Fred standing there and she smiled. He looked frantic but not frightened. "Mum there's something wrong with our clothes washer thingy!"

"Oh honestly."

"Seriously! All our clothes have turned bright green."

"Green? Fred, you didn't-" Mrs. Weasley sighed. "Tonks could you hold down fort for a few minutes?"

"'Course," Tonks agreed, stifling another yawn before Mrs. Weasley left the room and Ginny plopped down in a seat beside Tonks. "D'you want some toast?" Tonks asked, looking over at her.

"You're not hungry?"

"Not really," she sighed, staring at the plate.

"I think Bill might be stopping by this morning," Ginny lied, watching Tonks carefully.

"Mmm, really? I'd imagine he comes by a lot with Fleur here," she observed looking glumly at the scrambled eggs on her plate. Wrinkling her nose, she picked up her fork.

"I don't much like her," Ginny forged. "I'm not quite sure why he does."

"Oh, I don't know, seems logical enough to me," Tonks told her glumly. "And even if it didn't, they love each other, don't they? Why shouldn't they be together?" She stabbed forcefully at a bit of scrambled eggs and shoved them in her mouth.

"But don't you think Bill will be unhappy with Fleur later on?"

"Ginny, I'm not going to help you rebel against her," Tonks replied, looking up with a knowing grin that didn't fully reach her eyes.

"I'm just asking what you think about Bill."

"He's a nice sort-of bloke. I like him," Tonks replied, forging another bite of eggs. She began chewing them slowly.

"Didn't you know him at Hogwarts?"

Tonks swallowed. "Err, I guess so," she agreed. "He was head boy one year, wasn't he?"

"He said he remembered you."

"Did he? I probably tripped into him and knocked him over once. I can't remember all the people I did that to." Ginny sighed to herself. Tonks was being impossible. She watched as Tonks pushed the eggs around her plate with a fork, finally picking up another bite.

"Have you ever fancied someone who you were friends with?" Ginny asked, trying to sound innocent and curious.

"Finally up to admitting you have more than friendly feelings for Harry?" Tonks returned, her eyes glancing up again. She seemed hopeful for another topic.

"I don't fancy Harry anymore," Ginny said, shaking her head as if she were talking to Hermione. "I'm talking about Ron." Tonks raised her eyebrows and smiled lightly.

"I hope there's a Hermione attached to that statement."

Ginny rolled her eyes. "Of course I'm talking about Hermione. I don't understand why she doesn't just tell him. It's obvious, isn't it? I mean, shouldn't two people who like each other be together?"

"No argument from me," Tonks replied and stabbed a piece of her eggs again. The fork somehow seemed to bounce in her hand and clattered to the ground.

"And even if one's not sure of the other, maybe they should just tell someone close to them both, like his sister and then believe his sister if his sister says that he likes her," Ginny continued as Tonks reached down to grab her fork.

"I don't think Hermione's quite going to agree to that one," Tonks replied, grabbing the table to keep herself from falling over as she brought herself back up with her fork. "She probably knows you wouldn't actually ask Ron."

"But I just know."

"Hermione likes facts," Tonks reminded her. "Not suppositions."

"Okay fine, maybe not Hermione but what about somebody else?"

"Who else likes Ron?"

"Nobody as far as I know."

"Fred or George?"

"I think their shop girl has a thing for them both but nothing more than a crush. Besides, Fred and George are the ones who told me since Mum hasn't let us go see the shop yet."

"Charlie?"

"How would I hear anything?"

"That's what I was wondering."

"What about Bill?" Ginny volunteered.

"I think Fleur knows by this point. The fact that they were playing footsie at the last Order meeting was probably a good indication," Tonks said and with some bitterness.

"Honestly, it's a simple spell," Mrs. Weasley sighed as she came back into the kitchen.

"I think I'm going to go then Molly. Thanks for breakfast. The scroll's in the usual spot," she said cryptically to avoid telling Ginny where it was at. "Bye Ginny," Tonks told them before heading for the back door and leaving. Mrs. Weasley sighed as she looked over at Tonks's plate with three bites removed.

"If you ever get that lovesick over a boy, Ginny, make sure you still eat. Tonks is going to disappear if he doesn't come around soon."

"So she is lovesick?" Ginny asked suddenly, somewhat surprised that her mother had also noticed.

"I'm surprised you and Hermione haven't picked up on that already," she said, looking at her daughter with a slight smile. "You seem to keep notes on everyone in the Order."

"You like Tonks, don't you Mum?"

"I think she's a sweet girl, yes," she agreed.

"Do you like her more than Fleur?" Ginny watched her mother's lips purse together but she didn't answer.

"I don't think Bill's ever been interested in Tonks," she finally spoke, her voice rather final. Ginny nodded, the wheels in her head spinning away.

**Bah, kind of forgot I was posting this. Sorry guys! Don't let me forget again if there's anyone reading who wants the next chapter.**


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